posted on October 29, 2000 09:56:30 AM
I have heard that eBay in considering using hidden email addresses like Yahoo does. I have no idea how this would work, can someone help me? (I'm not familiar with Yahoo.) If the email address is hidden then how can you email the seller with a question?? This is a major problem I have with half.com, that you can't ask sellers questions. I hope it won't work like that. Maybe it will be like requesting contact info, where you would be able to request a sellers email address but they get a note from ebay telling them you requested it? Anybody got any info on this?
posted on October 29, 2000 10:02:49 AM
At Yahoo there is a "ask the seller a question tab" on the auction page that you click on and type your question. The seller is sent an email that a question has been asked or when they check their auction they see it and answer it. Everyone can read it. Somewhat inconvenient if you want to ask can you pay on the 15th of the month or will they mail first class instead of priority, etc. Whenever I list on Yahoo I put my email addy in the description.
What I don't like about Yahoo is that closed auctions can't be checked so you can't find out if your starting bid is on point or not.
[ edited by london4 on Oct 29, 2000 10:05 AM ]
posted on October 29, 2000 10:15:10 AM
I own a Web Ring, basically a "circle" of cat-related websites on the internet. When Yahoo took it over, they eliminated the ability to email the site owners directly. Now when we click on the "send email" link, we are taken to a form - it shows the userid of the person, but not their email address. The form sends an email, just like a regular message. It also includes a link back to a form so the recipient can reply.
posted on October 29, 2000 11:08:32 AM
If this were to be implemented, and I'd see it as a huge benefit in reducing or eliminating Spam among other things, it is easily done, by adding the message you type to the sellers email address and sending it internally, without seeing a posted email address.
Many sites do this ... ask a question, where the address to which it is being sent isn't shown.
From a fraud and safety standpoint this could help a lot, and would virtually eliminate the SpamBot harvesting of our addresses.
I hope they do follow through and implement this, as I have been told they are considering.
posted on October 29, 2000 11:29:47 AMPantheus, Is it possible to send a message to the seller without using the "ask a question" feature so that only the seller would see it? How is this done?
posted on October 29, 2000 01:41:40 PM
Wow, that was harsh! Why was he suspended? Was it a repeat offense? I had no idea adult language was so restricted on here! Should he have used asterisks instead of the actual bad word?
posted on October 29, 2000 02:17:19 PM
lizardsally,
Our Community Guidelines must be followed in posting on the message board. They include the following:
Content. You agree that any information provided by you, including but not limited to postings on the Message Center and images for our hosting service, or bidder notifications or other communications sent using our Post Sale Management Tool "Your Information":
6. will not use strong vulgar language, crude or explicit sexual references, demeaning racial or ethnic remarks, and/or hate speech;
As there were a number of posts made, not just the one in this forum, his privileges were suspended.
There are several ways that an email could be sent, by you clicking a users name (with the database holding the address) and adding your typed message to the address held by the database, thus preventing everyone from seeing the address, yet the mail happens.
One way is cgi scripts, java, php, several other programming languages that could handle it.
Back to what was originally asked, if no actual email address were shown until the auction was complete, and then only high bidder/seller we'd all be safer and have a lot less spam for sure, and technologically it is possible to have the same features just not showing the address.
posted on October 30, 2000 03:55:40 AM
I once asked a question on an auction over on Yahoo and NEVER got a reply. The seller didnt state how much shipping would be so I asked before I bid. To say the least, I didn't bid.
I get TONS of spam but it doesnt bother me to have my e-mail right there on eBay. I put it in my terms anyhow so that people can e-mail me with questions. I will probably continue to do so.
posted on October 30, 2000 05:19:29 AM
The down side is we could not spot fake or repeat offending bidders if the id's were hidden. Thereby making our auctions a total waste of time is someone decides to have fun terrorizing them.
posted on October 30, 2000 08:21:33 AM
The ID's wouldn't be hidden to the seller, would they? Wouldn't it just be the otehr bidders who couldn't see them?
posted on October 30, 2000 08:35:56 AM
I've been saying lately that eBay could (and should) at least keep bidders' email addresses hidden to everyone except the sellers of the items they bid on.
I realize this doesn't help a seller, but regardless, who else really needs to see a bidder's address except the seller? Otherwise, the bidders are just being harvested for spam, bottom-feeding, and auction interference purposes.
What's being discussed here would actually be stronger than that, and would help block spammers from sellers' addresses as well. By going through a form, email addresses would be hidden. eBay would act as the conduit, sending the email onto the intended recipient's address. I can see where this could complicate certain normal actions, and would also introduce a question of trusting eBay with all of that correspondence.
eBay should do something, though, because I see absolutely no excuse for continuing to exposing every bidder's address when bidder addresses are really only needed by the specific sellers.
----
What's being done in the name of direct marketing nowadays is crazy.
The above are all just my opinions, except where I cite facts as such.
Oh, I am not dc9a320 anywhere except AW. Any others are not me.
Is eBay is changing from a world bazaar into a bizarre world?
posted on October 30, 2000 09:09:17 AMeBay would act as the conduit, sending the email onto the intended recipient's address.
The only downside that I see to this is the promptness (or lack of) of the messages being delivered by eBay. They do not have a very good record in this regard.
posted on October 30, 2000 09:20:58 AM
I think we might be jumping the gun here.
I'm not sure that eBay has any intention of hiding the sellers email addy, only the bidders. IMO that would be the best route to go as any & all potential bidders could still email the seller directly if they had questions. It also should be possible for the sellers to see the bidders email addys via MY eBay.
The only downside I see to this scenerio is that scum sucking bottom feeders would be put out of business. Oh, silly me, that's the upside!
posted on October 30, 2000 09:32:59 AM
FWIW, I sometimes research the other bidders on auctions I'm interested in. I check out how much they're likely to spend...if they snipe, etc. Sometimes, it's helped me to win something I really wanted. I don't do it often, though.
I think we might be jumping the gun here. I'm not sure that eBay has any intention of hiding the sellers email addy, only the bidders. IMO that would be the best route to go as any & all potential bidders could still email the seller directly if they had questions. It also should be possible for the sellers to see the bidders email addys via MY eBay.
posted on October 30, 2000 10:04:59 AM
Hello Toke ....... This is just about to scroll off the AB, so just in case you missed it.
.........................................
*BID HISTORY and BIDDER SEARCH ENHANCEMENTS*
Dear eBay members,
Today, we are rolling out exciting changes to the Bid History andBidder Search pages. These changes were requested by many of you to
help improve your visibility to how transactions are conducted on eBay and provide you with productivity enhancements. In particular, many of you requested a more complete view of bid information to address
concerns of shill bidding, retractions, and sniping and other bidding-related questions.
BID HISTORY PAGE CHANGES
We will now display ALL non-retracted bids in the Bid History section
of the page. The list will be sorted as it is today (by bid amount, descending). This will apply to single-item transactions only. NOTE:
The former system listed only the highest bid from each bidder.
In addition, all retractions will be displayed separately in the Bid
Retraction and Cancellation History Section along with individual explanations. This also applies to cancellations by the seller. The
Retracted bid amount and Date of Bid will also be displayed. This change will apply to single item and Dutch transactions.
BIDDER SEARCH PAGE CHANGE
We have added the Seller ID to the Bidder Search results page and the ability to sort by the Seller ID. If multiple items were bid on or won from the same seller, these items can be conveniently sorted together.
This will allow bidders to consolidate payments and perhaps even facilitate processing and shipping for sellers.
We appreciate your suggestions and involvement in this issue.
posted on October 30, 2000 10:21:59 AM
My source?? I don't have one, it's a rumor I have seen floating around on the message boards, and I just wanted to get some more info about how it might work. Personally I don't care about private email addresses one way or the other, just as long as the seller's email address is easy for people to access. To me, as a buyer, being able to sign in to eBay and then just click on the seller's email address to ask them a question is a big plus. I hate half.com because you cannot do that. So as long as that remains simple I'm happy.
As a seller, I want buyers to be able to easily reach me to ask me questions about the items I'm selling. It would be helpful to me if they do implement some type of form the buyer fills out to ask about an item, because I assume it would reference the item number and title. I can't tell you how many times I get emails from bidders with the subject eBay, that say "Can you give me a quote on shipping for this item?" but don't tell me which damn item they are asking about! So that might be a change for the better if they actually do that!
